As is well known, the modern musical accompaniment box, commonly called a karaoke system, is configured to play through an electronic sound system lyrics sung by a person into a microphone mixed with an accompaniment of recorded music. A karaoke system typically includes a tape or disc player for playing back the music for the songs. A person can enjoy performing a selected song by mixing his or her voice through the microphone with the reproduced musical accompaniment. Karaoke systems have become very popular with many people, young and old, who wish to sing songs to the accompaniment of chosen music to enhance their performances. There are presently a large number of restaurants and bars that have special karaoke nights and charge their customers either directly by a cover charge or indirectly through drink prices to either anticipate or simply to watch other customers using the karaoke system.
A typical karaoke system used in a bar includes a microphone, a full stereo system with a strong amplifier system which can make the mixing sound full and powerful, an echo generator to improve the sound quality of the user's voice, a separate control unit to enable the singer to control the song selection and the timing thereof and volume of the microphone and music and the tempo and pitch of the music from where he or she stands, and provides a selection of a significant number of songs. The microphone and control unit both send signals through a wire to the stereo system which plays the selected accompanying music nixed with the user's voice at the appropriate settings through the stereo system. These karaoke systems require a third party, such as a bartender in a bar, to place the singer's choice of accompanying music in the stereo system from the selection of many titles because of the data limitations of the tapes and discs. Some karaoke systems also include a television monitor to display the lyrics of the song in order for the singer to read the words during the performance.
It is possible to have a karaoke system for home use if a person had all the above listed components connected together in one place. However, to purchase every component would be very expensive for individual use. The typical karaoke system is also quite bulky when the music storage components for the selection of a significant number of songs, the stereo system with a strong amplifier to make the mixing sound full and powerful, and the separate controller are all considered. The size of the equipment and number of component parts make travel difficult, and the power requirements necessitate standard outlet plugs for most of the equipment. This places a large limitation on where the karaoke system can be used.
Another desired use of a karaoke system which provides the desired song selection and sound power by many young people today is to perform with the karaoke system while riding in a car. It is possible to attach the necessary components of a typical karaoke system to a car stereo system. However, it is not easy to transfer the system from one car to another.
Additionally, a microphone or music data storage may work with one system and not another. Therefore, the system for playing back the musical accompaniment and lyrics may not be easily transferable between systems.
Yet another desired use of a karaoke system is to perform outdoors during festival picnics or at the beach, but again the size of the equipment and component parts necessary for the desired song selection and powerful sound makes such use difficult.
In addition, some homes have more than one karaoke system. Typically, such a home way contain a main system comprising separate independent components of the karaoke system wired together. This system would generally be found in the room of the home where guests generally gather, such as the living room or family room or main entertainment room. A secondary karaoke system comprising all the components of the system placed into one large outer shell way also be found. Particularly when there are too many guests for the main guest room, a desired use of the two systems is to have one singing performance be enjoyed by guests in the different rooms of the home where karaoke systems are found. However, this would take significant rewiring of the two or more systems and the different systems typically do not provide a wiring means for having one performance through one system be heard through the other systems. Another desired use of two systems would be to combine the power of the systems in one room. However, again this would take significant rewiring of the two or more systems and the different systems typically do not provide the wiring means of combining the power of two systems.
Accordingly, a system is desired to overcome the physical limitations of existing systems such as size, power and separate component requirements and flexibility for the usage of two nearby systems and to allow a karaoke system to be taken anywhere the user goes without location restrictions.
The cost of the desired system should also not be prohibitively high so that consumers can reasonably purchase a home system.